miércoles, 27 de abril de 2016

Are we Really Using The Communicative Approach?

By Marita de la Lama

Very recently, in a
teacher training course, one of the participants avowed that the Communicative
Approach was the latest approach to teach foreign languages. This thought still
remains a common assumption for many local English teachers, despite the fact
that new methods such as the Task-Based approach, among others, have emerged.

Why is it that even
in 2016, many English teachers consider the Communicative Approach as the
latest method? To begin with, it is by far one of the most popular systems all
over the world. Its popularity lies in
the fact that this procedure involves the best teaching practices that have proved
very effective in the teaching-learning process. However this conveys another problem:
everything we do in class is indiscriminately labeled communicative. We need to
put together theory with practice and reflect on what is actually communicative
and what is not. Since many teachers know the characteristics of the
Communicative Approach by heart, it will be helpful to list just the teaching practices that are not communicative, in particular
in our popular grammar lesson.

1.Many teachers
insist to start a lesson by writing a sample of the structure to be learned on
the board. But what happens to the idea
that presentations are to provide students with real input of the new structure?
Presentations need to display the new structure within a real context, one that
turns out appealing to the students. Quite contrary, we start using the written
language since the very presentation stage.

2.The written
exercises offered in the textbooks have a leading role overshadowing the
development of oral communication skills in the learners. Commonly I have
observed lessons in which the teacher “leaps” from a controlled practice of the
new structure to the textbook’s written exercises. Where does that leave the
Communicative Approach?

3.The very few
activities of pair work or group work conducted in class do not usually bare a
real need for communication. Two things constantly materialize in class: or the
students know the answers to the questions before they are even asked, or perhaps
the answers allure them slouching shamelessly at their disposal at the back of
the textbook! Thus, our communicative activities have stopped being real, are
out of context and wind up being quite boring for our students.

4.Skills are not
integrated at all. Often, due to time restrictions,
we end up working only one skill in a lesson, whether it is reading, listening,
or writing, without linking at least a couple of skills, such as reading with
speaking or listening with reading. We need to remember that the integration of
skills is one of the main characteristics of the Communicative Approach.

5.It is still
considered that to use the Communicative Approach implies to have our students speak
the language without receiving any feedback from their teachers about their
oral production. Teachers proceed from one activity to the next without giving the
students appropriate feedback about their oral production. The command of a language does not improve just
by asking students to speak it; this is just half of what we need to do; we
also need to provide our students with the needed feedback in order to prevent them
from committing to memory their own mistakes.

DE
LA LAMA, MARIA, holds a Master´s Degree in Applied Linguistics and Bachelor´s
Degree in Theoretical Linguistics from the University of California; MBA
Universidad del Pacifico. Current Director at
Centro de Idiomas de la Universidad del Pacifico.

miércoles, 20 de abril de 2016

Scripting lessons may be considered
time-consuming by many, both experienced and novice teachers. In fact, a great
deal of us consider lesson planning utopian and claim that the time spent drawing
them up could be better spent preparing the activities and materials needed for
the lessons. On the other hand, the authorities of schools and other
institutions insist on its convenience in order to ensure that the aims and
objectives of the lesson be achieved and that teachers do their job adequately.
Which side is right?

Why would it be necessary to prepare lesson
plans?

First, think of any occurrence that you wish with
all your heart to take place. How would you go about to make it happen? Wouldn’t you need
more than your desire to make it become a reality? You would very likely agree that you need to abide
by at least a short list of steps in order to achieve your goal. However, to be
able to maintain a balance between student-centeredness and
content-centeredness, and to keep the lesson on track at the same time require,
in most cases, more than a “short list” of activities. Preparing a lesson plan
helps mentors design and conduct their sessions in an orderly fashion,
increases teachers´ confidence, displays properly sequenced lessons and enables
users to anticipate some problems and, consequently, be more ready to deal with
contingencies. Furthermore, it offers clear evidence that teachers have taken
the time and put a great deal of thought and effort into the design of the
lesson. Thus, lesson plans turn up being not just an administrative
requirement, they come to be crucial.

Who needs to prepare lesson plans? Old hands or
rookies?

It is evident that some sort of strategy is
needed, but individuals may argue about how much information the plan should contain
or how specific it should be. Experienced educators may contend that only
novices ought to prepare lesson plans because the veterans already know what to
do in class, and how to respond in certain cases. Likewise, skillful
professionals have repertoires of well-mastered routines for a number of
situations which they can call upon without much distress. Although this could
be true, not having a lesson plan may prove, in the long run, lack of
efficiency and probably of effectiveness regarding the objectives of a course.
Even worse, some teachers may rely too much on the students´ own effort and
discipline to study by themselves. We should say that both categories, green
and seasoned, necessitate to concoct some kind of magic potion for their lessons.
However, the specificity of those plans may vary according to expertise.

What’s the difference between a veteran and an apprentice
teacher? How does it affect planning?

One of the main characteristics of knowledgeable
teachers is that they can readily recognize a number of well-known patterns in
classroom events and hence make sense of them because of their hundreds and
even thousands of hours of experience in the schoolroom. They have an ample
baggage of routines, and know how to handle a variety of situations.

Expert teachers process simultaneously
transmitted information very quickly, attend to multiple events at the same
time, detect indicators of disruptive behavior and act on them appropriately
and before they become problems. They are also able to anticipate the
difficulties that students are likely to have and take precautions. They reach
for a wide range of knowledge: of the pupils, the curriculum, classroom
organization, student learning, as well as subject matter.

On the other hand, beginner teachers are in the
process of acquiring all this know-how. They may have all the knowledge needed
but may need to go through different situations before being able to recall
them with ease. Consequently, they may need more guidance in the first few
years of teaching, and it would help them be better organized and more
confident in front of their students if they have a more detailed lesson plan.

What is most important when preparing a lesson
plan?

At any rate, expert or beginners must have a
clear vision about something extremely important: the aim and objectives needed
to achieve their goals. Every single activity should revolve around them.

In the same way, they need to have a clear
sample of the evidence needed to state that the objectives have been achieved.
Otherwise, the lesson may be enjoyable, dynamic, and everybody may have fun but
that will not necessarily mean that students will crown the objectives. We do
not only need that students enjoy learning but that they do learn what they are
expected to learn.

You may like to take a
look at the following article which explains what to consider when preparing a
lesson plan. It shows an easy and practical way of designing it.

Do you agree with the following statements?
Share your views about them.

Without a lesson plan, classes will definitely be a disaster.

Both
experienced and novice teachers must prepare lesson plans.

Lesson plans should be very specific even if you are an experienced teacher.

BiodataFlor de María Vila. M.A. in Cognition, Learning and Development from PUCP, B.A. in
Education with a major in English Teaching. Ms. Vila is currently Pedagogic
Advisor and Member of the Research Team at Centro de Idiomas de la Universidad
del Pacífico. She is Academic Director of International Contacts (test training
& foreign applications advisory) and Relationship Associate Manager for
American universities´ MBA admissions officers with International Contacts. She
is official Examiner for several University of Cambridge tests, former
freelance consultant with Universidad ESAN, experienced speaker on diverse
English teaching issues for prestigious institutions, and senior international
examinations trainer (GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, IELTS)

jueves, 14 de abril de 2016

WHY IS IT THAT SO MANY TEACHERS

ARE AFRAID OF TECHNOLOGY?

By Enrique Rojas R. M.A.

Seemingly using
technology in the educational field is today the name of the game. More than 4
million students in Latin America have an individual electronic device
conducive to support its differentiated learning. (Severin and Capota) Phones,
tablets and kindles (digital book readers) are expanding places of learning
beyond schools. In countries such as ours, in addition, programs like "One
Laptop per Child are being embraced. Yet, in spite of all this, there is a large number of teachers who have
real fear of technology.

The Confederación
Española de Centros de Enseñanza, CECE (Spanish
Confederation of Schools) indicates that 70% of primary and secondary schools of
that country do not have projects of educational computerization and 40% of
teachers do not use information technology and communication (ITC) in the Classroom.
They consider that the main reason for this is lack of training.

The
aforementioned report also says that six out of ten teachers use these
technologies in the classroom, but 35% said they "would be willing to use
them but do not dare", while 5% reveal they are not interested in using
them whatever the case.

In our
country, although we have no precise figures due to lack of statistics, the
portal Universia Peru, disclosed that 82% of teachers participating in a recent
survey they conducted do not believe that new technologies are used appropriately
in class.In opposition
to that, 97% of respondents sustained --at the same time-- that new
technologies mean "an opportunity" to improve education in the
country.

The
teachers responding considered that the main obstacle in implementing
technological resources in their classes, is the lack or inadequacy of the
infrastructure installed in their workplaces. But we consider that at the
kernel of the dilemma is the lack of proper training.

In
recent years most private schools in Lima and other large Peruvian cities, and
a good deal of public ones, have been equipped with computers, projectors,
screens, sound systems and sometimes even smart boards. School administrators
have been willing to dedicate significant sums to equip their classrooms. But unfortunately
they did not often allocate a similar amount to train their personnel. And this
is the result.

This is not a phenomenon restricted to Peru,
not even to the Third World. The Guardian. Influential daily British newspaper,
reported that some 30% of teachers surveyed by the University of Bristol failed
to make good use of computers in the classroom -- despite the government's £1bn
investment. The study divulges that many teachers dread computers will
interfere with 'genuine' or book-based learning, particularly in the humanities
and creative subjects, and use ICTs only for administration and routine tasks.
Furthermore,the document implies that many instructors
lack the confidence to take the risk of using technology in their subject
areas, although they have reasonable facilities at school and they use
computers at home.

On a more earthly terrain, on the part of the
teachers, there is a fear of letting go of control. Besides this, many educators
are uncertain about their own ability to create tech-integrated lessons. On
addition, while books are perceived as educational and as the classic vehicle
to approach ethos, (acquire knowledge) there is a cultural association of
computers with business as well as leisure, play and slackening.

Beyond that is the anxiety of teachers at
handling costly equipment. Who will pay if something breaks? They also worry
about off-task behavior online and cyber bulling. That leads to the
establishment of many anti-technology rules in the name of safety.

Other instructors find it very difficult to
recognize the wrongness and untimeliness of their non-tech approach. The
argument that computers have been oversold and underused is not completely
deprived of accuracy, although we identify it many times as a cop-out.

But perhaps one of the strongest arguments
that lead educators into the inactivity corner is the recognition that in these
matters it is very frequent that the students outperform their teachers. And a
good number of us are not willing to ask our students what to do with the
devices or how to do things with the seemingly uncooperative machines. Maybe
they still live in the time when teachers were supposed to be the depository of
all knowledge. On our part, we feel no shame in asking students and plea for
their help. And they are usually cheerful to award it.

Now your turn:

Have you ever wondered if Technology
in Education is a friend or a foe?

Do you know
why High-Tech sends a chill down the
teachers’ spine?

We are
looking forward to your posts letting us know what you think.

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

Graduated in Journalism at the PUCP, Peru, Enrique
Rojas R. holds a MA in Journalism and MA in Inter American History from
Southern Illinois University, USA; an MA in Literature from University of the
Americas, Puebla, Mexico, all the coursework for a MA in TEFL at Universidad de
Piura, Peru and BA in Education from Universidad Federico Villarreal. He has
also obtained Certificates of Proficiency in English both from Cambridge
University and the University of Michigan and the Diploma for EFL Teachers from
Universidad del Pacifico. He is an Oral Examiner for the Cambridge University
exams and has been awarded the title Expert in E-Learning from Asociacion
Educativa del Mediterraneo and Universidad Marcelino Champagnat. He has worked
as a professor in universities in Peru, Mexico and the United States; as a
newscaster and a producer in radio and television stations in the United States
and Mexico, and as a writer and editor in daily newspapers of the same
countries. He has been in the staff of CIDUP for 17 years teaching English and
Spanish specializing in International Exams, English for Business, ESP and
Teacher Training. He is a member of the Research Area of Centro de Idiomas de
la UP.

martes, 5 de abril de 2016

IS IT POSSIBLE TO KEEP LEARNING AFTER FINISHING THE COURSE?

By Zarela Cruz

There you are! The last day of
your English lessons! You are about to get your long-awaited certificate of
English and suddenly you become concerned.
You start thinking about something that went unattended before: “How am
I going to practice my English now that I am not taking classes anymore?

Does this scenario seem familiar
to you? Most people study English because it is a requirement for their
studies, work or for other personal goals. Indeed, once they get the required
level, they stop studying it formally and eventually, lose practice. Is there
something you can do to enhance the level of your 2nd /or 3rd language? Of
course there is, In fact, there are a number of ways to keep improving your
English once your courses are over! And here comes the best part: most of these
are tuition-free! However, they demand commitment and organization

Below, there is a list of ideas:

1.Use the social media to practice your English: chat in
English, post comments in English, share information in Twitter in English. You
may form a circle with your former classmates and keep in touch.

2.Enjoy movies in English. If you do
not feel confident enough to understand the gist, read the captions (also in
English) and pause the film when you need to reflect on a new word that caught
your attention. Keep curious!

3.Are you a music fan? Get the lyrics of
your favourite songs and sing them as many times as you want. First for
pleasure, then try to decipher some segments you did not understand at first.
You will learn a lot about slang, contractions, blending, silent letters and
even silent syllables. And have fun while
learning!

4.Dedicate at least 30
minutes a day to read in English: there is no need to be an intellectual to
practice your new language. Start reading texts that you understand and are of
your interest. This will give you confidence and little by little you will
start reading more complex texts.

5.Read graded novels or classic stories: there
is nothing better than reading a novel in its original language, even when it
is graded. Nowadays you can find audio books and listen while you are reading,
so you have a double input: auditory and visual.

6.Practice different kinds of exercises: listening, grammar,
vocabulary, whatever you feel like practicing. There are many of them on the
web waiting for you! In your classes, you were used to drill with some of them;
you may keep using them for practice, ask your ex-teacher for other resources, or
share some sites with your friends.

7.Write to your friends abroad: now with a vast number
of academic exchange programs or work and travel, there are plenty of chances
to keep in touch with the ones you met when either they visited your country or
you were in theirs. There are no excuses!

8.Change the setting of your mobile phone and email
account to English. That way you will always be exposed to this language and you will
internalize that routine quickly!

9.Organize your learning: keep a diary, a journal or
start with simple things like classifying vocabulary or reading aloud.

10.Be informed: read about international
affairs. It is always interesting to know how the English speaking world sees
us.

So you see? Your course may be over, but not your willingness
to learn or keep practicing the language you studied. These ideas apply to any new
language.

And what about you?
What works for you? Would you like to
share any of your strategies?

We are looking
forward to your posts letting us know the tactics you have tried out yourself
and proved effective.

Zarela Cruz graduated
from Ricardo Palma University as a translator. She also finished her
master’s studies in Linguistics and took some specialization diplomas in
English and Spanish: Higher Education, Virtual
Courses Design, and Spanish for Foreigners. She has also completed a number of
certificates: Teaching the Working Adult, Online, Hybrid and Blended
Education, among other self-study courses. During her
more than 20 years’ teaching experience, she has taught
different courses, programs and levels. This article
depicts what has proven effective for her.